More than two centuries have passed since Breguet made its first wristwatch. Known only as model number 2639, the ingenious design was commissioned in 1810 by a woman, no less. She was not just any ordinary woman. Indeed, some would go so far as to say that Caroline Murat, the Queen consort of Naples (1808 to 1815) and sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, was the co-inventor of the very first wristwatch.
The history of this watch is derived mainly from the old commission and manufacture ledgers of Abraham Louise Breguet. According to the records, the watch had an oblong case attached to a bracelet. It featured a minute repeater mechanism and required 34 different operations that demanded the combined efforts of 17 artisans.
In 2002, around 190 years after it made its first wristwatch, Breguet pays tribute to its heritage by launching an exclusive collection of watches celebrating the feminine form. Christened the Reine de Naples collection, it borrows design cues from Queen Caroline’s original watch. The Reine de Naples watches bear egg-shaped cases with off-centred dials at six o’clock. Some models come with braided bracelet straps or a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock in reference to the original piece, which was supposed to have had a thermometer displayed outside the hour chapter.
This year, precisely two decades and numerous iterations later, Breguet celebrates this distinctive ladies’ collection with three new Reine de Naples watches: the Reine de Naples 8918, 9835 and 9838. Like all the Reine de Naples watches, they feature ovoid cases and sparkle with feminine allure.
The emblematic Reine de Naples 8918 now comes in an elegant black version or a white and red variant, just in time for the holidays. The former boasts a grand feu enamel dial illuminated with brilliant cut diamonds while the latter features an elegant mother-of-pearl dial enhanced with a hand-guilloche central dial and red Breguet numerals. The rubies set on the bezel, flange, crown and 6 o’clock position add a touch of sparkle to this elegant design. Time is driven by the in-house Breguet Calibre 537/3, a self-winding movement with a 45-hour power reserve.
In Reine de Naples 9835 and 9838, Breguet shines the spotlight on an intriguing and poetic mechanism: a minute hand that adjusts according to its position on the oblong dial. Composed of two arms joined at the centre and the tip, the minute indicator changes shape as it rotates around the dial thanks to a set of gears that operate at different speeds, thus perfectly following the form of the watch. Behind the device enabling this optical game is an oval cam reminiscent of the Reine de Naples’ characteristic curves.
The rarer of the two, Ref 9835 features a midnight blue mother-of-pearl dial that offers an intriguing play on light and reflection. Its flange, bezel, lugs and clasp are set with 189 diamonds, while its crown bears a briolette-cut diamond. Only 20 pieces are available. Equally scintillating is the Ref 9838 which features a white lacquered dial with a bezel, flange and crown set with blue sapphires. Both versions are driven by the 78A0 self-winding movement equipped with a balance spring as well as an in-line Swiss lever escapement made of silicon.
